Blacktown Council marks 13 years of plain English reform

Blacktown City Council has marked 13 years of work with Plain English Foundation on a programme to simplify how it writes and shares information with residents, councillors and staff.

The council serves one of Australia's fastest-growing and most diverse local government areas. Blacktown has around 450,000 residents and is forecast to reach 600,000 over the next 25 years. More than 180 languages are spoken across the area, increasing the importance of clear public information.

Governance focus

The partnership focuses on plain language training, editing, and common structures for documents and messaging. The work now spans all five directorates, covering external communications and internal reporting.

"Blacktown City Councillors represent an incredibly diverse cross-section of the community. Offering information in clear, simple formats across multiple channels is essential for good governance and public trust," said Kerry Robinson OAM, CEO, Blacktown City Council.

Clear communication is a priority for consultation on major projects and community initiatives, along with practical ways for residents to respond to proposals or raise issues.

"A key priority for us is a focus on informing and consulting residents, particularly on major project proposals and community initiatives, and ensuring there are clear, practical avenues for people to provide feedback and have their voices heard.

"Our partnership with Plain English Foundation has helped us achieve that consistently for more than a decade. We have embedded clear communication as a core capability across the entire organisation, shaping how complex material is transformed into clearly written information and shared with the community," Robinson said.

Operational changes

The programme also targets how information moves inside the council. Blacktown City Council has 15 elected councillors and more than 2,000 administrative staff. That scale can put pressure on report writing, decision papers and routine correspondence, particularly when teams use different formats and writing styles.

Previously, the council faced common challenges in large public organisations: inconsistent writing approaches, complex strategy and planning documents, duplicated effort across teams, and delays caused by unclear reporting and documentation.

After adopting an organisation-wide plain language approach, the council reported fewer community complaints, faster document turnaround times and clearer information for councillors. It linked the changes to more efficient and better-informed decision-making.

Plain English Foundation said its work with Blacktown includes tailored workshops, structured templates and ongoing guidance, with the aim of maintaining consistent documents and communications across directorates.

"This has significantly improved community consultation processes and the flow of information with stakeholders," Robinson said.

Where it applies

Plain language principles from the partnership now appear across a wide range of council materials, from public notices to internal communications. The approach is used in resident mail-outs and mayoral newsletters, project updates, formal notices and letters, website pages, social media posts, staff communications and internal reports.

The range reflects the number of touchpoints councils maintain with residents, including service updates, community consultations, infrastructure notices and regulatory communications, as well as internal reporting that supports budgeting, planning and oversight.

The council linked the work to fairer access to services through clearer communications. It also associated the programme with less rework and fewer delays, more consistent reporting, and stronger trust with residents through clarity and transparency.

Plain English Foundation said the partnership offers an example for other councils facing rising demand, population growth and expanding service portfolios. Local governments across Australia have also faced increased scrutiny on consultation, accessibility and service delivery, alongside financial pressures and labour constraints.

"Blacktown City Council's strides in community engagement show that clarity is a hallmark of good governance," said Yusuf Pingar, general manager of Plain English Foundation.

"We are proud to serve as a trusted partner to Council, building on our partnership over the last 10 years, to help make communication clear, accessible and impactful," Pingar said.